I have only one question... Will Jesus Christ reign from this temple?... Brother Glen
It is just my view that the Lord will reign from Heaven as He has always, but that does not preclude His presence on earth at that time. We don't have a Scriptural statement by which I feel we could be dogmatic, but I think the parables concerning the Kingdom indicate that His Return implies His presence as well. It is just one of the arguments offered to substantiate another divisive topic and surrounds the implication of the word parousia, as seen in this passage:
1 Corinthians 15:23
King James Version (KJV)
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
Now, I will just add that we have to remember that Christ is God, and God is not a part of this creation, but is the Creator. The physical universe was created for man as an abode, and God's abode is and always will be Heaven (His Own realm). So while I do expect a presence of the Omni-present God and particularly Christ in His Glory, I do not make this exclusive, meaning, it is not a matter of choosing whether Christ will be in Heaven, or on the earth during the Millennial Kingdom. He will be in both.
He went to prepare a place for us, we remember, that where He is we should be with Him, and New Jerusalem, which I hold to be the place He has and is preparing for us...does not descend until we enter into the Eternal State. It is my view (and again I do not think we could be dogmatic, but think we could make a good case for basis) that during the Millennial Kingdom the glorified of that Day will reside in Heaven and have a ministry similar to that of Angels today, and that New Jerusalem will be "Home Base," if you will, and not just for us, but for our Lord as well.
Again, this does not preclude a "throne" of Christ on the earth, nor exclude the fact that He is God, and just as God has interacted with men in the past, He will be doing so then.
Lastly, we know that when Christ returns He takes dominion over the physical universe, which while we do not argue that God is Sovereign and always has been, we do not deny this statement made during the Tribulation:
Revelation 11:15
King James Version (KJV)
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Satan is bound, and the rule of God world-wide is spoken of, and we see that in the previously offered passage:
Zechariah 14:16-21
King James Version (KJV)
16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness Unto The Lord; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.
I think if we consider the implications of this Prophecy and others, it is not unreasonable to suggest that Christ will rule this world, as it is said, with a rod of iron.
Lastly...
Matthew 25:31
King James Version (KJV)
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
...while we would not neglect the fuller spiritual application of this statement, and make "the throne of his glory" exclusive to a physical throne on earth, neither should we, in my view, neglect that Christ will reign for one thousand years, and a Throne is not an unreasonable element for our King:
Revelation 20
King James Version (KJV)
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The Tribulation Martyrs raised here will reign with Christ, and the implication of them being on earth could be viewed as reasonable, though again, a dogmatic position cannot be drawn from this text alone. The Tribulation Martyrs appear to be glorified, due to the fact they are said to live and reign with Christ for the thousand year period, and it is debatable as to whether they will be specific to this universe, or, like we would assume with those raised in the Rapture, have New Jerusalem as their home camp as well.
Not something we could be dogmatic about, but points of interest in regards to Christ having a literal, physical Throne on earth during the Kingdom.
God bless.
